Flo at-valve



(No Model.)

FLOAT VALVE. No. 578,672.

Patented Mar. 9; 1897.

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HUBERT K. WOOD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FLOAT-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Yatent No. 578,672, dated March 9, 1897.

Application filed January 9 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUBERT K. W001), a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Float-Valves, of which I the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves of that class more particularly designated as fioatvalves and more especially applicable to water-closet tanks; and the object of the invention is to provide an automatically-operable valve simple in construction and effective in operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a valve in which the hissing of the water and the hammering and rattling of the valve usually found in devices of this character are obviated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a valve of such simplicity of structure that the cost of construction thereof is materially lessened, while its effectiveness in operation is increased.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve, illustrating one embodiment of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical partly-sectional view thereof, the valve-actuating lever being broken OE; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal top sectional view taken on line a a, Fig. 2.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings,

My invention is herein shown embodied in a structure adapted for use with flushingtanks of Water-closets, and for the purposes of this specification it will be described with such object in view; but it will be undeslood that the invention is not alone designed for flushing-tanks of Water-closets, but is applicable also to many other structures in which a valve of a similar character of operation to the one herein shown and described, whether autgmatically or otherwise operable, may be use My invention comprises generallya suitable valve casing or body (designated in a general way by A) having communicating inlet and outlet ports or passages, a valve- Serial No. 574,828. (NomodeL) chamber in the nature of a reaction-chamber and into which the outlet-port opens and a valve-seat adjacent to the outlet port or passage, a valve member (designated in a general way by B) embodying a valve disposed in said valve-chamber and means for guiding 1 and regulating the movement of said-valve in said chamber, and an actuating-lever in operative connection with said valve member for actuating the same.

In the preferred form thereof herein shown and described the valve casing or body A is preferably of differential diameters, forming thereby substantially three chambers c, d, and e, and which chambers are herein designated, for the purposes of this specification, as the piston cylinder or chamber 0, the inlet-chamber d, and the reaction or outlet chamber e, and this reaction-chamber has its walls curved or concaved, whereby, when the fluid strikes the same, it will be caused to react toward the center of the chamber in a manner hereinafter set forth. It will be understood, however, that the casing may be constructed in any other suitable way, with or Without the differentially-diametered chambers, and that the chambers thereof need not necessarily be of dilferential diameters relatively to each other. For instance, the inlet-chamber (I may be of substantially the same diameter as the piston-chamber 0; but it is believed that the casing or body can be more quickly and easily constructed and the object of my invention more readily accomplished by the use of a casing or body constructed to substantially form three chambers, and hence while not in all instances necessary, yet for the purposes of this specification and the better description of my inven-' tion it has been so described and illustrated.

The valve casingor body has an inlet port or passage 10 and an outlet port or passage 11. The inlet-port 10 preferably opens into thereof and above the reaction-chamber e and the outlet-port, while said outlet-port 11 leads from the inlet-chamber d and opens into the reaction-chamber e and is preferably formed the middle or inlet chamber (1 at one side i by an inwardly-extending circular flange 12,-

forming a valve-seat 13 at its under side, the

circular wall 14 of said flange constituting a guiding means for the valve member throughout its entire operation in a manner hereinafter set forth.

The inlet-port is substantially of less area than the outlet-port 11, whereby a reduction of pressure is obtained adjacent to such outlet-port.

The walls of that portion of the valve casing or body adjacent to the inlet-port 1O preferably flare and gradually unite with the walls of the inlet-chamber d, which preferably bulges above the outletport, so that the water or fluid can be forced substantially around said enlarged chamber and flow into the reaction-chamber e from all points of said inlet-chamber, whereby the fluid will have a direct downward movement rather than an oblique or sidewise movement, as would be the case if the water flowed through the outlet-port atthatpoint thereof nearest the inlet-port without being first forced around the chamber.

The valve or valve member B in the form shown preferably comprises a valve proper, 15, disposed in the reaction-chamber e and adapted to engage the valve-seat 13, a piston -rod 16, extending through the inlet-chamber d and entering the piston-chamber c, and a piston 17, disposed in said chamber 0.

The piston-rod 16 has a threaded end 17 and an annular flange or shoulder 19 within the reaction chamber and a slotted and threaded end and an annular flange or shoulder 20 in the piston chamber, and which flanges 19 and 20 are preferably integral with the piston and form supporting means for suitable packings. The slotted and threaded end of the piston-rod may be separate therefrom, if desired.

The valve 15 in the form shown comprises a suitable packing (herein shown in the nature of a leather disk 21) secured in position adjacent to the flange l9 and adapted to engage the valve-seat 13 and an interiorly-threaded clamping-nut 22, engaging the threaded end 17 of the piston-rod 16, for securing said packing in position relatively to the flange 19, and which nut is herein shown as a conicallyshaped nut for the purpose hereinafter set forth, and,if desired, may have suitable means whereby the same can be quickly and easily placed in position on the piston-rod or removed therefrom, such, for instance, as a thumb-piece or pin-holes.

At that end of the piston-rod 16 which extends into the piston-chamber c the piston 17 is secured, and in the form shown is in the nature of a cup-shaped packing 23, secured thereto adjacent to the flange 20 by means of a'suitable interiorly-threaded nut 24, engaging the threaded portion 18 of the piston-rod for clamping said packing in position. This cup-shaped packing forms a tight joint with the wall of the piston cylinder or chamber 0,

whereby the outflow of water at this point from the inlet-chamber d is prevented.

As one means for guiding the valve and also for regulating the action of the same the piston-rod 16 is provided, intermediate of its piston and valve and at that point thereof in its movement which is contiguous to the wall 14 of the outlet-port 1l,with radial wings or flanges 26, preferably shown herein as three in number, which wings 26 are adapted to closely engage the wall of the outlet-port in the opening and closing movements of the valve, whereby said valve is not only steadied in its action, but by the close engagement of the wings or flanges with said wall the action of the valve is thereby regulated to prevent the too quick closing and seating of the same,

relatively to its seat, on the upward motion of the actuating-lever, whereby the hammering action usually appertaining to valves of this character and which is believed to be due mainly to the quick-closing action of the valve when near its seat is obviated. These 3 wings or flanges 26 are cut away or inwardly beveled, as at 27, to thereby form an annular recess intermediate of the valve and said wings or flanges, whereby the divided streams hereinafter described will unite into one stream at the top of the valve when said valve is adjacent to its seat, to thereby prevent the hissing sound, also usually found in valves of this character, in a manner hereinaft-er set forth.

The actuating-lever 30, which in the construction shown is adapted to carry a float, (not shown,) has its inner end extending through a slot 31 in the piston-rod, and is pivotally secured to an extension 32 of the valve casing or body A, and works in said slot to actuate the valve member B on the rise and fall of the float in a manner that will be obvious without a more explicit description.

If it is desired that the water be conducted to the bottom of the tank rather than have a drop fall, the lower end of the reactionchamber 6 may be constructed with a threaded extension for the reception of a pipe in a manner that will be obvious without the necessity of illustration or further description and without in any wise alfecting the operation of this device.

In the operation of my improved valve the fluid enters through the inlet-port 10 and is forced around the inlet-chamber d, and on the opening of the valve it flows downward through the outlet-port, being divided into three separate and distinct streams and caused to spread and engage the curved or concaved wall of the reaction-chamber 6, whereby, owing to the peculiar construction of such chamber, said streams are returned toward the center of the chamber, one part thereof counteracting the other part thereof and all acting toward and uniting at such center, whereby a new and distinct stream is formed at this point, which flows from the reaction-chamber through its discharge-opening 12 in one compact'and undivided stream. The fluid on its rebound or reaction toward the center of the chamber engages the conically-shaped face of the valve, and acts, during the closing operation of said valve, to assist in such closing operation.

The hissing sound usually appertaining to valves of this character and which, it is believed, is ordinarily due to the action of the valve during its closing movement and when it has nearly reached its seat, by permitting the fluid to be discharged in a small stream at a few places only of the outlet-port and thus causing such hissing sound, is obviated in my improved construction, owing to the fact that when the valve has nearly reached its closing movement the fluid, owing to the cnt-away or beveled portions 27 of the wings or flanges, which form an annular recess intermediate of the valve and of said wings or flanges, is permitted to flow entirely around the upper portion of the valve, and hence escapes in a relatively large stream or sheet at all places adjacent to the valve-seat, whereby the discharge of a small stream at any one place and the consequent hissing of the water are obviated, as the valve closes and seats itself, while the water is discharged entirely around the same in a sheet and not at any one place.

By means of my improved construction of valve the same can be made at a relatively low cost without in any wise impairing its efficiency and in the use of which the hissing sound and the hammering and rattling action of the valve are entirely overcome, as has been found by experience with a valve constructed in accordance with this description.

In practice that portion of the casing constituting the piston-cylinder c in which the piston 17 works may be made of slightly larger area than the area of the outlet-port 11, whereby, owing to the increased pressure adjacent to the piston as compared with that adjacent to the outlet-port, the valve may be at all times firmly seated and balanced in its movements.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A valve comprising a valve casing or body having an inlet-port, an outlet-port, and a valve-seat; a reaction-chamber below and with which said outlet-port communicates, said chamber having concaved walls and a discharge-opening; a valve disposed in the reaction-chamber and adapted to engage the valve-seat and provided with radial wings or flanges engaging the walls of the outlet-port for regulating the movement of said valve, said wings or flanges having their lower ends cut away or beveled adjacent to the upper face of the valve to form an annular recess intermediate of said valve and the flanges or wings and in proximity to the valve-seat when said valve is about to engage the same, to thereby permit the fluid divided by said wings or flanges to unite into one stream or sheet around the top of the valve when the same is closing on its seat and thus prevent the hissing of the same; and means for actuating the valve.

HUBERT K. WOOD. NVitnesses:

FRED. J. Donn, HENRY BISSELL. 

